Ignoring the kids’ birth dates and his wedding anniversary, an Iva man picked five meaningless lottery numbers and won $100,000 last week.

“I went numb,” he said. “Winning was a complete surprise.”

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His wife will tell you that she’s the one who advised her husband to quit playing sentimental numbers and try something different. He listened and chose 5, 15, 27, 34, and 38 at random inside the Gamesh Food Mart on S. Murray Ave. in Anderson for the Palmetto Cash 5 drawing on Sunday, September 22.

He rode around town for days with the ticket in his truck’s overhead sun visor before realizing its worth. It’s now his old truck.

“I’m buying a new one,” the winner said.

His wife’s response, “Can I have $500?”

Odds of winning $100,000 playing Palmetto Cash 5 are 1 in 501,942.

Had he spent the extra buck to Power-Up his prize would have multiplied to $300,000.

For selling the claimed ticket, Gamesh Food Mart received a commission of $1,000.

To date, lottery play has resulted in more than $3.1 billion transferred to support education.